Celebrate the Beat (CTB)

Celebrate the Beat (CTB) changes the lives of the children who experience it. Driven by the core belief that the arts are essential to the development of every child, highly professional, physically demanding, and deeply inspiring programming is offered to children from ages five to fifteen during school, after school, and throughout the summer. In 2000, I founded CTB as the Colorado associate of National Dance Institute (NDI). CTB began working with 100 children in 4 schools and currently partners with 20 schools, inspiring over 3,000 children annually in several Colorado counties and in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. The growth is a result of CTB’s deeply effective methodology. CTB programs are rooted in hard work and excellence, and our staff brings those standards to every class they teach. CTB students are joyfully challenged in classes and performances to develop healthy living habits, expanded worldviews and cultural literacy, critical thinking skills, the ability to communicate ideas through the arts, and collaborative skills. They are instilled with confidence, the drive to achieve, and a desire to succeed. All children, including those with physical and cognitive challenges, participate. CTB’s unique teaching method has the uncanny ability to reach the most motivated students and those who struggle with classroom engagement. CTB was created so that every student could find joy in movement regardless of differences. All of this is done through exhilarating, challenging, stimulating, and engaging teaching. Classes are one to three hours long, depending on the program, and are taught by a team of three trained CTB members: two professional teaching artists/dancers and one talented musician. Live music in every class is one aspect that separates CTB from other programs. Each program culminates in a final public performance during which students proudly share what they’ve learned with the community. These performances are highly professional, choreographed, and performed with a live band. They illustrate the impressive knowledge and skills the students gain during their tenure in CTB classes. We serve high-poverty communities and school districts where 23.95% of students live below the poverty line, and 83.6% qualify for free or reduced-price lunches. Among residents, 81.5% are Hispanic, and 55.09% are English Language Learners. Student mobility is high, with a rate of 32.6%, and nearly 10% of students are classified as homeless. Additionally, a growing number of children face challenges related to obesity. These demographic factors shape the foundation of CTB programming and underscore the need for our support.